Strengthen Your Body, Strengthen Your Mind
For 2021, This is My Brave is excited to announce the second annual Brave the Storm 5K virtual event. This year’s event will take place the weekend of June 11-13. We’re building on the success of last year’s inaugural run so, for 2021, we want to create momentum leading up to the event. That’s why we are encouraging all of you to sign up today to join us. When you do, we hope that you will also commit to getting active / staying active NOW when we need it the most — in the winter months of the pandemic.
Each month leading up to our Brave the Storm 5K weekend in June, we plan to feature a Brave alum who will share their own story of how physical movement has helped their mental health. We hope you find these posts to be a source of encouragement for you as you undertake the Brave the Storm 2021 challenge.
For this blog post we are pleased to share the reflections of Michael Rupprecht from This Is My Brave Napa Valley (February 2020).
When strengthening your body, you in turn strengthen your mind, which in turn can strengthen your spirit. Convenient, right? I had always heard of studies proving that physical activity/exercise of any kind has a direct correlation to quality of mental health given the dopamine release that follows workouts or strenuous outdoor activities, but I didn’t get a chance to see it in action until about my first year of living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
At my earliest stages in my relationship with OCD, to say I felt hopeless was an understatement. I felt like my life was already over, which was terribly upsetting, because I wanted to live and love and give and follow every dream I’ve had since childhood. At that time, things were bleak. I was 15 years old. I didn’t know it was OCD. It didn’t really cross my mind since I thought OCD was just something that made you want to be tidy and clean. Before I knew my diagnosis, I thought I had lost my mind, and I would never be able to be happy again. It felt like death and I felt alone. That was until I gathered bravery within myself and spoke out. I spoke to my family.
After so many months of dealing with this mystery illness, I took to the internet and just typed in the search bar what I was feeling and hit enter. What I found was a sea of studies, scholarly articles, websites, community forums, stories of pain and triumph, all about OCD. I stood back and fell onto my bed with tears in my eyes. I wasn’t crying because I had OCD. I was crying because I finally knew what it was. Now I could fight.
Fighting OCD took strength, wisdom, courage, resilience, support from family and friends, therapy and medication. I was not going to let it stop me from living my life. Thankfully, it hasn’t. Over the years, OCD has made me stronger, smarter, and braver. Perhaps it isn’t an enemy per say, but more a rival, this paradoxical entity that I have beaten, but still always keeps me on my toes. Bottom line, I am stronger today in the face of OCD and I will only get stronger. You will too. Guaranteed.
Recovery is an ongoing process. But here is one piece of advice I have given to my fellow OCD-diagnosed pals that I learned from the research I mentioned above (and really it applies to anyone, don’t you think?): with every day of your life, make sure you do something that strengthens your body, your mind and your spirit.
After crafting a workout schedule for my week (each workout lasting only about 30 minutes), I noticed great improvement in my overall mood as well as in my ability to set OCD straight. I alternate between cardio one day and some form of weightlifting the next. On top of that, I make sure to get outside for a hike either alone or with friends. Next I add in other things that I know are enriching. I read a book, I volunteer in my community and I’m now trying to work in yoga and rest days too. Boom — body, mind and spirit — complete! All of these efforts combined have made for a wonderful and definitely effective aid in my battle with OCD.
I would like to say this to everyone: if you curate your own personal routine to strengthen your body, thus strengthening your mind, and in turn strengthening your spirit, then you will see the results in your mental health in general and, for folks battling with OCD, you should see results in the way you can free yourself from OCD’s illogical grasp. All of this has helped me especially during quarantine, and I intend to continue long after quarantine is a memory, and I hope you will too!
Michael Rupprecht is 21 years old Napa, California native who has successfully battled with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder since he was 15. Through his many outlets, he strives to bring awareness, hope, and better treatment for folks fighting the hidden fight of living with OCD. He is the Executive Director of The Hero Foundation, a community service-based nonprofit that he started along with friends when he was 18 when his hometown was being ravaged by wildfires. Since then, Michael and his team have been carrying out service projects all over Napa County to better the lives of all who live there.
Michael is also a student at the Napa Valley College where he studies Psychology and Political Science. He is a published author and author with multiple books on store shelves. Half of his book sales go to the International OCD Foundation.
Michael is a seasoned local award winning actor and continues to do shows in Napa, Sonoma, and Solano Counties. He is also a musician with multiple original piano compositions on Spotify, Apple Music, and more. You can expect his first album, Imaginary Friends, to be released soon.
With every day of his life, Michael makes it his quest to do all that he can to bring peace, love, and prosperity to all.
Check out Michael’s original performance on the Brave stage in February 2020 here. Find Michael’s original compositions for piano on Spotify and Apple Music. Visit www.theherofoundationus.org to learn more about the work that Michael and his team are doing to save the world!
JOIN us for Brave the Storm 2021 and let’s get active together for mental health!
